PA Senate Sends House Tax Package Impacting Natural Gas Drillers, Customers
HARRISBURG (CBS) -- The next move is up to the House, now that the state Senate has approved a slate of taxes to help patch a hole in the new state budget, including taxes on natural gas drillers and consumers.
The speaker of the House is opposed to tax increases, but Republican Jake Corman, the Senate majority leader, says they are now unavoidable…
"And I guess some advocate that we shouldn't do anything. We should sit back and let Rome burn," Corman said.
But Corman says the ramifications of that would be significant. So the Senate has sent the House a slate of taxes, including a tax on natural gas drillers and a 5.7% tax on natural gas usage.
Existing taxes on phone and electric service would also increase, and the sales tax would be extended to some previously untaxed internet purchases.
Governor Wolf calls the Senate tax plan a "responsible step," but for now, a spokesman for the House Republican majority leaders says only that the Senate plan will have to be reviewed.
